1. Field of the Invention:
This invention is an air scrubber for removing dust particles and water from air.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Particulate matter has been removed from the air around mining operations by a variety of mechanisms such as improved ventilation and air scrubbers. These air scrubbers have consisted of suction devices attached to mining machines that frequently use a filter and a flow of water within the filter. U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,889 (Ziemba) discloses such a system. In the air scrubber disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,568 to Gundlach, polluted air is subjected to a liquid spray as it enters into a chamber having a revolving rotor member. Centrifugal processing is used in the David U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,677 for the dust collector to wet and separate the dust. Another related prior art reference is the U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,401 to Lucas which discloses a wetted, stationary fibrous media.
This invention is made up of a thin, dense, uniform smooth face rotating bed of flooded mesh wire cloth which acts both as a particulate deflection mechanism and as the slurry eliminating system. The centrifugal action of the bed forces the dust-laden water and large particulate from the outer periphery of the bed. A fan draws the dust and water drop laden air through the rotating bed and helps to form an air seal near the bed's periphery. It is the impact between the water droplets, bed wire, and dust particles which causes the wetted particles to be thrown off the bed for later collection. Combined with the applied centrifugal forces, particles are slung off from the open weave to provide a continuous flushing or cleaning action for the bed.
The essential difference between this invention and the cited and known prior art resides in the construction and operation of the rotating fibrous bed. In this invention the bed itself is rotated, flooded with a liquid, and made of fibrous mesh wire cloth of uniform density with a smooth upstream surface. An air seal formed around the inside downstream edge of the rotating bed and the stationary lip of the bell-mouth entry prevents air from passing therethrough. This design not only produces a bed with high dust collection efficiency, but also a self-cleaning dual functioning scrubber and droplet eliminator at a minimum size and cost.
Various test results conducted on a selected group of scrubbers including those embodying this invention can be found in the U.S. Bureau of Mines report entitled "Scrubbers for Dust Control: A Comparison Six Medium-Energy Use Types" authored by Joseph T. Janosik and myself.